A Moment of Thanksgiving

At this special time, I'd like to specifically be thankful for many things...

1.  I'm thankful for my family, the most tolerant 4 people ever.  I saw my son Tyko for the first time since June...Boston, Allwin, since August...and my wife Silja and L, I have put them through a lot, more on that in my Christmas letter, later on.  We got a family picture together (above).  It was nice to be back together...if only for a little while...family beach vacation is 5 weeks away.

2.  I'm thankful for people who keep exotic ducks around the USA, and also to these ducks for essentially mating with anything that flies by, because...they can.  Some would think that this would be a bad thing, some would call this a frustration, but not me.... Because, now, no duck, it seems can have its provenance proven, so on many species, therefore aren't even worth the chase.  On ones I did chase like the one today in Boston, a Spot-billed duck (well possibly) that just has that wee little bit of something in it, or so it seems, but I don't know, I saw the bird today and was able to use it as an excuse to avoid Black Friday, so not all is lost and I am putting it as a "Massachussets Anas duck" provisional, It still has many correct field marks of spot-billed and acts wild, but what is it doing here?  Anyhow, thank you duck breeders for sparing me many lifer ducks now and in the future.

 
this is not Adak.....I didn't photo the bird as was a pushing it scope view and long walk back to car to get my camera.....

3.  I'm thankful for overly protective Liberal states like Minnesota.  I think we all need to be reminded that slipping down a hill into the raspberries is not a good idea.

4.  I'm thankful for John Puschock.  I'm sure John doesn't bother to read this plug, but the Alaska--everywhere birding guide, has made it an artform to have photos so bad and in some cases for no apparent reason, that you just can't quite ID birds or just barely.
Take this tufted duck I saw today north of Boston, you could just barely see the tuft...a lower 48 lifer for me....so thanks John!  Your inspiration has moved me to finer things!

  I know, I know, I still have work to do....much too clear

5.  I'm thankful for bad weather.  Not just rain and wind, but really and truly horrid awful finger of God bad-weather.  Where would I have been this year if I would have had normal, and nice weather?   I have shouted six times to mother nature...ala Forest Gump.  Is that the best you can do?  Twice God later showed up, to deliver his/her answer in person, but I survived...so far.....They say a little adversity makes you stronger. well unless a bear is involved, bears just kill you....

 
6.  Thank you Delta Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Island Air, Ravn Airlines, Bering Air, United, Air Canada, Suncountry, WestJet, Southwest Airlines, and even you American Airlines, you loathsome imp of an air service company..are you not bankrupt yet?...thank you all for making my life generally....late, uncomfortable, hot, and irritating....and very gassy.....hum.   Biscotti  Cookies....I can't beleive I traded a piano for Biscotti cookies....I never want to see one of these again...

7.  Thank you all of you who helped me this year, some even without me paying you....you were appreciated....why would anyone help a goof like me is beyond my comprehension?  I guess I have new found insight to the kindness of strangers.  Thank you for reading this too.

8.  Thank you December for almost being here so this crazy idiocy can be put to bed.  This is a maraton and I still got 2 miles to go.....35 days from now, though, no matter what, some of you will be seeing an awful lot of me....life under a yellow umbrella....but there is less of me to see!

9.  Thank you for the Atlantic Ocean for only causing $600 damage to my camera this time, last time, it was a new 3,000 camera I needed.  Generally though, I have survived pretty much unscathed, my car got toasted by a deer but I wasn't driving it.  Why can't you be like the Pacific?

10.  Thank you Grandmother Lucille for giving me the gift of birding....I still like birding, just maybe not for a while in 2017.

finally, thank you birds for being generally cooperative this year....your beauty astounds me...this big year, did save me from watching another disappointing NFL fall for my two teams the Vikings and the Packers....it was good to have something to watch on Sundays.

Thankfully yours

Olaf

PS another provisional, well sort of.......I'm not too optimistic...